The Pains of Firewhiskey
by Nil1875
Summary: Not a great title, but your basic Draco/Harry goodness, eventual fluff over a bottle, or three, of Firewhiskey. Post GoF AU, year 6. No OotP depression stage, didn't happen. T In Progress
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter yawned as he sat down at the Gryffindor table between Ron Weasley and Seamus Finnegan. Across from him sat Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas.

"Mornin'" he muttered. "I dead on my feet. What've we go first?"

Ron cringed as he shoveled a second helping of eggs on his plate. "Looking like that, I don't think you want to know mate."

"Not double potions?"

"Double Divination."

Harry brightened at once. "Excellent. I can sleep!"

Ron, Seamus, and Neville all laughed, while Hermione shook her head over her Transfiguration book.

"What's go you so tired the Harry?" Neville asked. "Can't sleep?"

Harry dug into his plate of bacon, eggs, potato's and sausage and shook his head.

"Not so much I can't sleep, as I don't have the time to sleep. Remember I had detention with Snape last night. I didn't get back until 3am!"

Heads turned to the High table to glare at the potions master.

"What did he have you do this time?" Seamus asked, stabbing at his sausages in anger. Everyone at the Gryffindor table hated Severus Snape with the burning heat of hell, and the only ones that escaped their sympathy for a night spent in detention with the old bat were the Slytherin's.

"Well," said Harry venomously. "First, he made me sort the flobberworms, again, then he had me dice mandrake roots for over an hour, then! I had to scrub out all the cauldrons in the entire dungeon, then scrub the desks, then re-organize the potions stores."

"Blimy, there's nothing left to do!" Ron said. "How's he gonna give anyone else detention?"

"Trust me, he'll think of something. Oh and the best part?" Harry scowled.

"What?" his friends all asked in unison.

"Malfoy. Git somehow got detention, at about midnight, and McGonagall came dragging him in by the ear."

The Gryffindor boys cheered as they all looked over at the Slytherin table and saw that Draco Malfoy looked quite as run down as Harry did.

"What was it for?" Dean asked excitedly.

Harry shrugged and stood, grabbing a piece of toast. "They didn't talk too loudly. Something about sneaking about the Astronomy tower I think."

With that Harry made his way out of the hall, not particularly wanting to wait for Ron. As he made his way up to the Divination tower he snickered quietly to himself. He hadn't told the others the reason for Malfoy's detention, because really, he wasn't that cruel, but at least he could have a laugh at it himself.

"_Professor Snape, I have another for you."_

_Snape looked up from his desk where he'd been reading a potions text, and pointedly ignoring Harry where he was scrubbing out a cauldron. _

_Into the dungeon, strode Professor McGonagall in her tartan robe, and nightcap, dragging Draco Malfoy by his ear as he whimpered._

_Snape raised an eyebrow. "And what is it, that, Mr. Malfoy has allegedly done this time, Professor?" _

_Harry sniggered into the cauldron, being strongly reminded of the time in their first year when Malfoy had been caught in much the same way and dragged off._

"_Mr. Malfoy, was lurking around the Astronomy tower. After hours, with another student."_

_Harry choked. He imagined the only people in Hogwarts that didn't know what an after hours meeting in the Astronomy tower was for, were those under fourth-year and Ron. _

"_Indeed…" Snape said smoothly. "Might I inquire as to the identity of the other student? Not one of my own, I assume, or you would have brought him along."_

_Harry bit his tongue very, very hard._

"_No, a Ravenclaw, Terry Boot. I have already given him detention and taken twenty points from Ravenclaw," McGonagall said. Her lips were thinner than Harry had seen in months, and her face held a decidedly pink hue to it. Weather it was anger or embarrassment, Harry wasn't too keen to find out._

"_Very well," Snape muttered after some consideration. "The same then. Twenty points from Slytherin, and you can assist Mr. Potter cleaning out those cauldrons. Go."_

_McGonagall let go of Malfoy and left, nodding to Snape. If he thought it possible, Harry would have sworn Malfoy blanched at the sight of him._

"_Well come on then," he said, with a very un-Gryffindor smirk, and threw a spare scrubbing brush at Malfoy and indicated the pile of dirty cauldrons._

_Malfoy sneered, but didn't say or do anything under the watchful eye of Snape. He glanced at Harry every now and then, and was sure by the lunch the next day his reputation would be ruined. Then he would have the perfect excuse to hex Potter into and Oblivion._

Harry was shaken from his thoughts as the silver ladder descended in front of his face. With a sigh he began to climb into the heavily perfumed room, and quickly sank into an armchair as far from the fire and the oversized bug of a Professor as he could.

The rest of the class filed in over the next few minutes and Harry was almost asleep when Ron poked him in the arm.

"Spill. I know you heard why Malfoy was in detention. Those dungeons echo like anything."

Harry grinned and shook his head. "I swear Ron, didn't hear a thing."

"Bloody git," Ron muttered, and Harry didn't ask if he was referring to him or Malfoy, and instead settled back for some rest.

Not forty minutes later Ron poked him awake again as Professor Trelawney glided closer.

"Ah, my dear, I see something in your future," she said mistily as she approached Harry.

Ron snorted. "Yeah you're gonna die tomorrow Harry."

"A once strong rivalry has diminished, and will soon be gone. This person will admit their true feelings towards you, and you will grow into friends at long last."

Harry blinked at the lack of death predictions.

"Alas! They will betray you, and cause your downfall!"

'There we go,' Harry thought bitterly. 'Was waiting for that one.'

Later that evening as Harry sat at the Gryffindor table next to Hermione, he glanced over at Malfoy. As soon as he did the blond looked up, and he could have sworn he saw some fear laced in with the utter hatred that was directed at him.

Testing his theory, Harry smirked, and the fear became evident. Smirking even further, he leaned over and whispered something to Hermione, and he saw Draco really did pale at that.

Upon seeing Hermione smirk on her own, Draco grabbed his bag and ran as fast as his dignity would allow from the Great Hall. Harry collapsed in a fit of laughter.

"What was that all about Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry tilted his head to look at his friend through the laughter.

"_Hey, Hermione, wait a few seconds, then smirk, like I just told you some big embarrassing thing about Malfoy."_

"_Why?"_

"_Please 'Mione?"_

"I can't tell you now, but maybe later," Harry said through his laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

A week passed and it became clear to Draco that Granger hadn't spilled his secret, even if Potter had really told her. But that meant that Potter hadn't told anyone else either. How very Gryffindor of him.

Finally, one day after Care of Magical Creatures, Draco hexed Harry's books to get up and scuffle away towards the Forest on their own, causing Harry to stay late chasing them.

"Potter," he said smoothly as he stepped out from behind a tree halfway back to the castle. He'd waved his goons off, saying he forgot something.

"Malfoy…" Green eyes were hard behind round glasses, before he glanced down at the struggling book clamped to his chest and broke out in a grin. "I should have know…"

Draco rolled his eyes and pulled out his wand, waving it vaguely through the air. The book stopped struggling and Harry tucked it into his bag.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Potter, I assume you heard the reason for my detention the other night?"

Harry looked up in surprise and nodded.

"I must…extend my thanks, that you haven't told anyone…" Draco bit out.

"Well, except Hermione…" Harry grinned.

"I suppose I should thank her as well for not blabbing it all over the school?" Draco gritted his teeth.

Harry smiled, seeing his opportunity. "How about this Malfoy, stop being mean to me and my friends, don't _ever _call her a mudblood again, try using her name, and I will keep it entirely to myself."

Draco paled once more. "Are you…blackmailing me, Harry Potter?"

"Why I do believe I am," said Harry with a gleeful grin.

"How Slytherin of you," Draco muttered as he stalked away.

"And no trying to hex me in the corridor!" Harry called after him.

Draco spun, pulling his wand out and sent the classic tickling charm at his rival.

"Deal!" he called as Harry collapsed on the ground, clutching his sides in peals of laughter.

And with a smirk he left Harry to writhe on the ground until someone found him. It was a little piece of payback. After all, Harry had said 'Corridors' quite clearly.

--

"I can't, believe him!" Harry nearly shouted as he burst into the common room a little over an hour later.

"Who mate?" Ron asked, looking up from his Potions book, but Harry ignored him, instead looking at Hermione.

"He hexed my books in class, so he could talk to me. I proposed a truce of sorts, based, on you-know-what and not telling the whole blasted school, and I included no hexing in the corridors. Know how he got around it?" Harry nearly shouted. "He hexed me on the grounds! He hit me with Rictuasempra! I hate that charm!"

Hermione sat for a minute then started to laugh. Ron looked between the two, bewildered still, but didn't say anything.

"It's not funny!" Harry said indignantly. "It took me forever until I could get a breath for the countercharm, then I couldn't move for ages because my sides cramped up!"

"What's going on?" Ron finally asked.

"I'm going for a walk," Harry huffed. He went and dumped his books in his dorm, and returned with his invisibility cloak. Ron was still looking at him strangely as he left.

Three flights of stairs along, he paused to throw on the cloak. Quietly he shuffled along the sixth and seventh floors for over an hour, stopping at the Room of Requirement to find some food at one point. He'd returned to the common room halfway through dinner and had just missed the rest of it in his wonderings.

After his small meal he wondered the rest of the castle. He passed ghosts, stragglers from dinner, and Professor Snape, no less than three times.

Keeping quiet since it was getting quite late, and curfew was well past already. Fortunately the only thing out on the prowl was Peeves and he was easy to avoid, since all he was doing was bothering a portrait on the third floor.

Passing the entrance to the Astronomy tower Harry shuddered, and didn't go up. He didn't want to risk going blind.

That was until he heard shouts.

"How could you!? I thought you loved me!" a boy's voice.

Harry thought for a moment. If these two were yelling at each other they probably weren't naked. Biting his lip Harry started to climb the stairs. He silently cursed his over curious nature.

"Are you mental? I told you when this began, there were to be no feelings involved."

Harry froze as the cold voice of Draco Malfoy floated down to him.

"I hate you!"

Harry had to push himself against the railing as Terry Boot shot past him in the dark, nearly knocking into him. Harry saw tears on the Ravenclaw's face, and his curiosity getting the better of him, he climbed the rest of the way up.

Malfoy was leaning on the railing, gazing up at the stars, his mouth set in a twisted frown. He didn't seem remotely upset about what had just happened.

Harry leaned against the wall and watched him for a while. The other boy didn't move for nearly ten minutes, then when he did, Harry had to duck and roll away to the stairs, as the Slytherin started throwing jinxs everywhere.

"Damn it all! Damn him, damn him, damn him!" Malfoy shouted over and over again. Now Harry could see the tears running down the pale boys face.

Harry crouched behind the entrance to the stairs, watching in shock as Malfoy slowly calmed down. Eventually he collapsed to the floor and drew his knees up to his chin and sobbed quietly into his robes.

Harry quietly tiptoed closer to Malfoy, trying to catch what he was muttering into his knees. When he did, he fell back in surprise, and quickly scrambled down the stairs and ran all the way back to Gryffindor tower.

"Lacewing!" he nearly shouted as he reached the portrait. She opened with a frown and Harry sighed in relief as he collapsed into his favorite chair by the fire. He buried his face in his hands and gritted his teeth, Malfoy's words ricocheting around his head.


	3. Chapter 3

A little shorter than normal, sorry. Enjoy!

* * *

_-Before-_

"Lacewing!" he nearly shouted as he reached the portrait. She opened with a frown and Harry sighed in relief as he collapsed into his favorite chair by the fire. He buried his face in his hands and gritted his teeth, Malfoy's words ricocheting around his head.

_-Now-_

"Harry?"

Harry ignored Hermione as she came and sat beside him. He finally looked up when he felt a tugging on his invisibility cloak. He looked down and realized he was a head, a pair of lower arms, and his shoes. The cloak had come off partially while he was running, but it left him looking rather strange.

"Malfoy…he's…" Harry stared at the fire, not able to let the words pass his lips, fearing somehow that would make it all the more real.

"What Harry?"

"_Damn you, why do I have to love you? Why, damnit, Harry…"_

"He loves me…he's in love with me…" Harry was practically in a trance. His eyes were locked on the wall, and he couldn't think straight.

Hermione gasped. Loudly, and then clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Oh, Harry…" she said as she reached for his shoulder. He shook his head.

"I can't…not now…I'm going to Hogsmead…"

Hermione didn't protest as he left once more. She just sat and stared at the back of the portrait hole, trying to believe what she'd just heard.

Within five minutes Harry was under the Whomping Willow, heading for the Shrieking Shack. He carefully broke away the wood barring the back door, and slipped out. He only removed the invisibility cloak when he reached the Hogshead pub. He quickly preformed a couple of spells, one to lengthen his hair, and one to temporarily fix his eyes, so he could tuck his glasses into his pocket. He turned the invisibility cloak inside out, so the silver lining was out, covering his school uniform.

He pushed open the door, and went right to the bar. The man behind the counter merely grunted when he threw some money on the wood and ordered a bottle of Firewhisky.

Taking it and a glass, Harry sunk into a chair in the furthest, darkest corner of the dingy establishment. It was well past eleven, but the pub was doing a roaring business.

With a glare at the liquid in front of him, as if it was all it's fault, Harry poured a shot, and tossed it back. It sufficed to distract him as it made his insides feel like he'd swallowed hot coals. He coughed, and poured himself another shot.

--

Hermione slowly made her way down to the dungeons, dodging two couples and three teachers on the way. It seemed the spirit of Valentines' day had arrived several weeks early.

Halfway down she managed to catch a Slytherin, and tailed her to the strip of wall that was the Common room. Waiting for the girl to go inside, she stepped forward and knocked.

The wall slid open again, and Hermione sighed with relief. Standing before her was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Granger…what do you want?" he asked, trying his best to mask his shock.

"I need to speak with you. Prefect business," she said with as much haughtiness as she could muster.

Malfoy nodded and stepped out of the room, letting the wall slide shut.

"What's this really about?" he asked quietly.

Hermione glanced at the floor. "Harry."

Draco stiffened. "What about him?"

"He….er…this is hard to say Malfoy, promise you won't hex me? Because you know I'll hex you right back then report you." Hermione turned her uncertain frown into one of genuine threat.

"I won't, Granger, now what is it? I assume this has something to do with my night time rendezvous and such?"

"Yes and no…he heard you break up with Terry Boot…."

Malfoy once more paled. If Potter had heard that, then he'd heard…

"He knows you're in love with him…"

Draco's eyes closed and he bit his lip, doing his best not to shout, cry, curse, jinx or hex anything in sight.

"And?" he finally spat out.

"He…he went to Hogsmeade…over three hours ago…I'm worried…I thought maybe…" Hermione paused.

"You want me to go after him…"

"Will you?"

Draco shrugged. "Fine. I'll go, and I'll get in trouble. Not like I really care anyway."

"I'll come too…if we get caught, we can say we went to fetch him…our duty as prefects."

Draco just nodded, and went back to get his cloak.

--

"Hey! 'Mione! Come join me!" Harry called. He saw Hermione, and a cloaked figure enter the Hogshead, and he waved them over. His second bottle of Firewhiskey was nearly empty, and Harry was happy to say, he couldn't quite see straight. All his troubles were gone, and he was light as a feather.

"Oh dear," he heard Hermione mutter. "He's had quite a lot hasn't he?"

"Figures, the boy-who-lives can't hold his liquor," her companion muttered. Defiantly not Ron then.

"Hey," Harry growled. "I'd like to see you find out your arch-fucking-rival is for one gay, and for another in love with you for god knows how long. Go do that, drink two entire bottles of this lovely stuff, and then tell me I can't hold my liquor."

Hermione blinked a few times then groaned out loud. "Honestly, you might want to take that back Draco, he can hold his liquor quite well. His speech isn't the least bit slurred and he's perfectly coherent. "

"I don't care what the circumstance, I can hold my liquor better than you any day, Potter," Draco growled as he pulled back his hood.

Harry blanched at the sigh of him, then turned and summoned another bottle off the bar counter. He caught it deftly and set it down before an empty chair.

"There you go Malfoy. Prove it," he challenged.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 here, there should be one more after this. Sorry for the delay, and I hope I'll be able to finish it soon! 3's to everyone who watches and who reviews!!

* * *

Harry groaned as he opened his eyes to the bright sunlight of a Saturday almost-afternoon. He quickly closed his eyes again and put a hand to his face, trying to block out the offensive light.

A few minutes later, he became aware of an arm around his waist. He tensed immediately and looked down to see pale, slim fingers, gripping his waist protectively.

He didn't want to look behind him, he couldn't. He didn't want to remember what had happened the night before. Suddenly the images came unbidden to his mind anyway.

"_There, you see? Now we're at the same amount, in a quarter of the time I might add, and I am still perfectly coherent myself," Malfoy drawled, gazing resolutely at Harry over the shot glasses. _

_Hermione sat on and watched, her arms folded over her chest disapprovingly, but she wasn't going to leave her friend in the hands of Draco Malfoy, under any conditions, especially not the influences of Firewhisky._

"_Alright then, shall we continue. The first to slur their words loses."_

_Malfoy smirked. "You're on."_

_So it went on for another good hour, until the bar keeper told Harry to just pay him in advance for however many bottles of Firewhiskey he wanted, so that he could throw them out and go to bed._

_Harry had bought three more bottles, and he and Draco each clutched one in their hand, while the other arm was being draped over Hermione's shoulders as she kept them walking in a straight line towards the castle._

_They both continued to take swigs from their bottles, as they walked, and had consumed over half of them, by the time Hermione had dragged them up several flights of stairs to Gryffindor tower._

"_I will not step foot in there," Draco said defensively._

"_Fancy walking down to the dungeons on your own then?" Hermione asked with a glare. _

_Draco was silenced at once, and he followed the other two into the common room. Gazing around he grimaced. _

"_It's so….red…I hate red…"_

"_Probably like pink though, you lousy ponce," Harry muttered from the armchair he'd sunk into._

"_Pink no, Lilac yes," Draco glared back._

"_Ha!" Harry said in triumph._

"_Just because I am gay Potter, does not mean I'm any less of a man. I admit when I like something. Unlike some people." He gave Hermione a pointed glance and she blushed a shade to rival Ron's hair._

"_I'm going to bed, and if you two kill each other at least it won't be on my head," she growled before stomping off._

"_Denial does nothing Granger! You'll only end up alone!" Draco called as he sank into a chair._

_Harry glared at him from across the room. "You're lousy, you know that?"_

"_Why, prey tell?"_

"_You…you just are! You're infuriating and a complete git!"_

"_And a much better kisser than you will ever be."_

_Harry blinked. "Where the hell did that come from?"_

_Draco shrugged, taking another drink of Firewhiskey._

"_You are not," Harry muttered quietly, a pout evident on his lips._

"_What was that Potter?"_

"_I said you are not. I'm better at everything else, Quidditch and so on…why on earth would you be a better kisser?"_

"_Potter, even completely DRUNK, I am a better kisser."_

"_Are not."_

"_Are you challenging me? That makes the second time tonight I believe."_

"_So what if I am?" Harry asked._

_Suddenly Draco was extremely close. _

"_Dra--" Harry was cut off as lips accosted his. Soft, warm, wonderful lips._

_It was the best kiss Harry had ever had in his life. It was perfect. There was not other word. Draco's lips put just the right amount of pressure on his, and when he felt a tongue lap at his lips, he opened them with a sigh, letting Draco explore his mouth._

_Before he knew it, his hands were buried in platinum blond hair and he'd pulled the other boy closer. They both groaned as their teeth clashed, and Draco bit Harry's lower lips gently. _

_Before either of them knew it, they were stumbling up the stairs, leaving their robes behind, to fall into Harry's four-poster bed._

"_Muffito," Harry muttered, before the threw his wand on the table along with his glasses. Draco smirked. _

"_I know why you're doing this," Harry moaned as Draco's hands pulled at his shirt._

"_And why's that?" Draco gasped. Harry had arched against him effectively pressing their bodies together._

"_Because you love me. Perfect opportunity to take advantage of me," Harry said between kisses._

_Draco smirked. "Alright, so what's your excuse?" Harry just moaned._

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, then stiffened as he felt the arm tighten around him.

"Potter, will you relax and go back to sleep?" came a bleary voice from behind him. The voice of Draco Malfoy.

Harry tried to pull away, and get out of his bed, but Draco held onto him, pulling him back. They fought briefly until Harry found himself pinned under Malfoy. He blinked when he realized that they both still had their pants on. He tugged at his wrists but couldn't get free.

"Malfoy, wha-"

For the second time that day, Harry was cut off by lips pressed to his. They were just as wonderful as he remembered them, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to remember or feel. To Harry's great displeasure he felt his treacherous body reacting to Malfoy's soft kiss and soon found himself returning the pressure on his lips with a moan.

He felt Draco smirk against him. Bastard. Finally Harry managed to break away and breath again.

"Well, isn't this a nice way to wake up?"

Harry glared. Draco sighed.

"If you must know Potter, nothing happened beyond heavy snogging last night."

Harry blushed, but finally looked up to meet Draco's eyes. The foremost emotion he could see, was amusement. Annoying, irritating, perfect, twinkling amusement.

Harry glared for another moment, before raising up to capture the smirking lips above him, before pulling away. Draco followed him, pressing his mouth to the raven haired boy's.

"Oy! Harry! Get up mate!"

Harry and Draco both jumped and whipped their heads around to glare towards where the door had just banged open. Harry made a point of groaning out loud and stuck his head out of the curtains, only to find it brought on a horrible headache.

"Ron, what day is it?" he asked as calmly as he could.

"Saturday," Ron blinked.

"Good, now kindly bugger off and let me sleep."

Ron narrowed his eyes. "You went out last night…and…is that Firewhiskey I smell?" he asked leaning closer.

"So what if it is?" Harry asked defensively. He felt Draco's arm tighten around his waist to keep him from shouting at, or better yet, attacking Ron.

"Sure, go out and have all the fun without me," Ron muttered as he turned around and stalked out of the room.

"Ron!" Harry called. He grabbed the half empty bottle of liquor that was by magically his head, since he didn't remember having brought it up with them, and rolled it over to his redheaded friend.

"Cheers mate," he said before he withdrew his head into his curtains to deal with Draco.

Harry bit his lip as he heard the door shut again after Ron's gleeful cheer.

"So…"

Harry frowned, and tried to sort out his thoughts. One, he had a pounding headache, which he was sure he'd never understand why he hadn't felt the moment he woke up. Two, his arch-rival, who tormented him for the last six years, who made such a point of hating him, was in love with him. Three, said arch-rival was in his bed, without a shirt, and four, Harry wanted to do nothing more than turn around and snog the living daylights out of him.

Harry turned his head and looked at Draco. His grey eyes were twinkling, and he was watching Harry with a smirk. When Harry glared, Draco's smirk widened, and he raised a hand to stoke Harry's cheek.

Harry groaned and let his head fall back on the pillow, trying to keep from reacting in a positive manner. He gave up when Draco's fingers started skimming down neck and chest, and he grabbed the blond boy, digging his fingers deep in the silky hair, and dragged him forward. Draco's chest covered his own before their lips smashed together soundly.


End file.
